Madison’s mind shut down, and she looked at her watch. She had planned to spend a couple of hours with Henry, but if her parents were to come back, she didn’t want to see her mother. She would make some ridiculous request, and Madison wouldn’t be able to say no or they would gang up on her.
If her father hadn’t been so old and her mother unreliable she wouldn’t have had to be the sole caretaker of them and her brother. Henry’s mom had passed away from breast cancer when he was young before their dad remarried her mom.
With his cancer diagnosis, he wasn’t able to help with everything he needed to deal with, and before that he was too busy with his basketball career, so it left her to care for their elderly dad.
“I know what you’re thinking.” Henry sat up more in bed. “I don’t think they will be back.”
The room door opened, and in came her mother and father. Madison froze. She had nowhere to go. There was no place to hide. Madison was trapped. There was no way she could get out without them making a big deal that she was leaving. Anyway, she would have to go through them to get out.
Her dad was doing better, but the stroke had affected his whole left side and he needed to use a walker to get around. He had been proactive with rehab and had been able to avoid being wheelchair-bound.
Even her dad knew if he had to rely on his wife to get him around, she would put him in a corner and leave him while she ran off and did whatever she did.
“Oh, great. Madison is here.” Her mother air kissed her from afar.
“Hi, Mom. Dad.” She went to give her dad a hug and her mom side-eyed her.
“Madison.” Her mom poked her on the shoulder. “Can you be a dear and go get us a bite to eat? I found some money your father had stashed away, but it’s all gone now.” Her mom had a smug look on her face. She knew she had drained Madison’s account.
“Mom, I don’t have any cash on me.”
“You can give me one of your bank cards. I’ll bring it back.”
“I don’t have one. I had to close my account and open a new one. They are mailing me a new card.”
“Your father and I are quite thirsty. Milford, sit down. You must be tired and hungry.” Madison helped her dad sit down on his walker, chair combo.
“Madison, are you sure you don’t have any cash on you?” Madison’s head snapped up. “I know you went bartending a couple of nights ago.” Henry spoke up. His eyes implored Madison to help out.
Madison stood back up. “I only have a fifty and a hundred on me.”
“Oh, that should be enough,” her mom said, hand out.
“I’m sure Elaine will give the change back.” Henry nodded at Madison.
Madison kicked herself for not telling Henry that her mom had drained her checking. Although it wouldn’t have mattered. Her mom had every guy wrapped around her finger. They would do anything for her.
“Right.” Madison gritted her teeth and got her wallet out. “Here’s the fifty.”
Her mom plucked the hundred with the fifty and left Madison with an empty wallet. She would need to stop by her bank to get some of the extra cash out to last her until Thursday.
“Thanks, sweetie. We’ll be back.” Her mom air kissed her goodbye. And the door closed behind her. She hadn’t waited for Madison’s dad, who stood and shuffled after her.
“See, that wasn’t that hard.” Henry adjusted his blankets.
“Henry, she took all the money in my wallet.”
“You know they need the money. With Dad not being able to work and all. And I don’t have money coming in anymore, like I used to. We all need your help.”
Money that he went through like water. He didn’t think to try to help anyone else. But he expected her to help him out.
She believed she was guilty every time it popped up in her mind. Henry didn’t deserve her resentment. It wasn’t his fault he wasn’t good with money or that he had breast cancer and now needed a kidney.
She pushed it down like everything else she supposed wouldn’t pass the good person judgment test and went on like she always did. One step forward.
****
Madison was surprised when Sabrina called her to get together at a nearby coffee shop. She found her in the back deck section in the corner.
